The ability to absorb energy and resist fracture under impact defines which property?

• A. Toughness
• B. Ductility
• C. Strength
• D. Conductivity

Answer: (A)

Toughness describes how much energy a material can absorb before fracturing and how well it resists crack growth when hit or loaded suddenly. It captures a balance between strength (how much stress the material can withstand) and ductility (how much it can deform plastically before breaking). Tough materials, like certain steels, can absorb a lot of energy and resist cracking, which is why they perform better under impact. In tests such as Charpy or Izod, toughness is shown by the energy absorbed up to fracture—the larger the energy, the tougher the material. This is different from strength, which is about the maximum stress before yielding or breaking, from ductility, which focuses on how far the material can deform, and from conductivity, which relates to electrical or thermal conduction.